


A Birthday to Remember

by macybon23



Category: Forever (TV 2014)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Hurt, a little fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:53:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24112351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/macybon23/pseuds/macybon23
Summary: Henry Morgan's friends try to make his birthday special, but as with most things concerning Henry, the night doesn't go quite as planned...
Relationships: Jo Martinez & Henry Morgan, Jo Martinez/Henry Morgan
Comments: 7
Kudos: 33





	A Birthday to Remember

Henry frowned at the body laying on his autopsy table. “This is certainly like no gunshot wound I have ever seen before.” Around the room the detectives and his lab assistant groaned, much to his confusion.

“Come on, Henry! We thought we were gonna be able to go out for drinks tonight!” lamented Hanson. He chose to ignore his outburst and address his partner instead.

“Detective, what are we celebrating?” Jo rolled her eyes at him.

“Don’t tell me you forgot your own birthday,” she said with a smirk. Of course, that’s what all of the hullabaloo was about. His birthday. After 236 years on this earth, the day of his birth was yet another reminder of his inability to die permanently. He preferred to put it out of his mind as much as possible. But for her benefit, he hid his distaste for the occasion with a polite smile.

“Of course not, I simply didn’t expect anyone else to care to celebrate it.” Jo shook her head with a smile, reaching out her hand.

“Come on, Henry, the body will still be here in the morning. Let’s get out of here already.” As much as he wanted to disagree, to insist on staying elbows deep in a corpse until the early morning hours... he couldn’t resist the opportunity to spend some much needed time off the clock with Jo. The others were a necessary hindrance, a buffer and an excuse for the event. But Jo was what made the offer worth it. He stripped off his gloves and gave her a nod. A few minutes later he was wrapping his scarf around his neck and walking elbow in elbow with his beloved detective. The pair were oblivious to the two snickering middle aged schoolboys following at a careful distance behind them.

Henry’s heart couldn’t have been any lighter. He was walking with the woman he was falling in love with, and they would soon be somewhat alone in a bar chatting over a couple of drinks. A much needed vacation from his normal, dull life. If his thoughts hadn’t been so daydreamy, perhaps he would have noticed the shadow moving in an alley ahead of them. But no, he walked on oblivious, with her on his left close to the buildings. If he had noticed, perhaps he could have saved the both of them from the pain of what was to come.

A shot rang out in the night, and Jo slumped against him with a cry of pain. His arms held her up as she held her side where a bullet had struck her. Hanson whipped out his gun and charged into the alley toward the perpetrator. Lucas’s face blanched at the sight of the blood soaking Jo’s shirt, bracing himself against the edge of a building. Henry pleaded quietly for her to stay awake despite the pain and blood loss.

“Please, Jo, stay with me. You’re going to be fine, I promise.” Her eyes searched his for any conviction in his words, and he prayed that he was coming across as honest as possible despite the fear and uncertainty coursing through his veins. Her eyes began to roll back in her head, and it took all of his strength to lower her slumped body slowly to the ground.

“No! Jo, you have to stay awake!” His fingers probed her soft neck for a pulse, feeling comforted by the throbbing beat beneath his fingertips. He glanced up at the panic stricken Lucas, who was staring into the distance in shock. “Lucas!” he snapped, causing his assistant to look his direction. “Call 911. Now!” And obediently his assistant pulled out his phone and began dialing away.

Footsteps raced toward them, and Hanson doubled over out of breath. “Damn bastard got away,” he scowled. His eyes landed on Jo’s paling figure with concern. “Is she... is she gonna be okay, Doc?” he asked, looking to the ME for answers.

“I sincerely hope so, Detective,” he said with a shakiness in his voice. There was no use hiding how scared he was for her now that she was unconscious. Especially since his hands were now covered with her blood as he held her close. He cursed to himself. Of all the days someone had to hurt Jo, it had to be his birthday.

Flashing lights signaled the arrival of paramedics, who, about a minute later, pried the bleeding woman from his arms. He remained crouched on the ground, frozen in his fear. A million memories of people dying in his arms played themselves on repeat. A warm hand on his shoulder jolted him from his nightmares.

“Come on, Doc. Let’s get to the hospital,” said Lucas softly. Henry nodded numbly. He knew the odds were against her given the location of the wound. The severity he hadn’t been able to tell, but the bleeding suggested it wasn’t good news. Jo, his fierce partner, now reduced to a limp doll at the hands of certainly incapable doctors. The very thought of their bumbling hands even touching her made his skin crawl. If only he still had his medical licence...

The ride to the hospital made him all the more anxious to see Jo again. His leg bounced erratically on the floor of the passenger seat, earning him a glance from Hanson in the driver’s seat.

“Doc, you alright?” asked the detective. Henry swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded. He placed a hand on his own knee to stop himself from bouncing it anymore. Hanson gave him a sly grin despite the tension in the air. “You got somethin’ to tell us?”

“I beg your pardon?”

Hanson shrugged. “Jo’s lucky to have somebody lookin’ out for her, that’s all I’m gonna say on the matter.” Henry found himself blushing. Were his feelings for her so obvious to everyone else? Judging by Lucas’s barely concealed smile in the rearview mirror, he determined it had to be so. He could only hope that he would get the chance to confess his love to her.

The three men jumped out of the car as soon as the car switched off, making a beeline for the emergency room doors. A nurse greeted them in the entrance, directing them to the lobby. She was unmoved by worried faces and flashing badges.

“I’m sorry, gentlemen, but rules are rules. Your friend is being operated on as we speak. There’s nothing you can do now except wait.” If there was one thing Henry had, it was time. Patience was another matter altogether. He knew he could wait forever for her to come out of surgery, but he wanted to see her immediately, to prove to himself that she was okay.

For three hours the men alternated between sitting, standing and pacing, none of them daring to leave the waiting room for a moment as they clung to the promise of an update soon. Henry was sure he’d make himself bald before she got out of surgery, judging by the number of times he had pulled at his hair in frustration. Hanson and Lucas weren’t faring much better. Lucas was muttering to himself in a low voice, and Henry could make out a recitation of the different cuts that could be done to a body. Hanson couldn’t look away from his phone, staring at the screen for a distraction.

Suddenly, the nurse came into the room and all three of them jumped to their feet. She took a step back in surprise, and Henry forced himself not to crowd her. Her eyes moved from Hanson, to Lucas, and landed on Henry.

“Are you Dr. Henry Morgan?” she asked.

“Yes, I am.”

The nurse’s face lit up. “She asked specifically for you when she woke up.” To the other two she said, “The surgery went well and the doctors expect her to fully recover in a few weeks.” The boys all released a sigh of relief. Hanson slapped Lucas on the back with a laugh, and Lucas couldn’t help but laugh too. The nurse turned back to Henry. “Dr. Morgan, are you ready to see her?” He nodded with a fool’s grin plastered on his face. “Follow me.”

The nurse led him back past curtained rooms and beds flying down the hall going either direction. It was an orchestrated chaos walking through the emergency wing. She stopped in front of one of the rooms and drew back the curtain. “Jo? You have a visitor.” The nurse left the room, allowing him to step in.

Although the day had evidently weighed upon her, Jo’s face was serene and content, staring out her grimy window. When her head swivelled to face him, her eyes were bright and she smiled. “Hey Henry.”

His goofy grin returned. He couldn’t help it. Seeing her alive and well after something so traumatic was the best birthday gift he could have ever received.

“Hello, detective,” he replied. She tried to giggle but winced in pain. He flew over to her side and took her hand. As the pain subsided, she squeezed his hand gratefully.

“Thank you,” she said softly, lip trembling. He leaned over and pressed a tender kiss to her forehead. The little sigh that escaped her lips didn’t go unnoticed by him. It gave him hope that maybe his feelings might be returned someday. Just maybe.

He pulled away slightly to gauge her reaction. The delighted smile on her face made all of his worries fade away.

“Henry, I know you absolutely hate any food that isn’t from a good restaurant or Abe’s cooking, but would you like to eat here with me? I’ll only be eating some green jello myself, but I’d appreciate the company.”

“Of course,” he said without a pause. For her he’d do many things, including attempting to consume hospital food. All for her.

The nurse stepped into the room with a cough, asking if it was okay for the other two visitors to join them for a few moments. Henry had completely forgotten about them in his happy bliss at seeing Jo, and blushed as the nurse waved them in. But not for a single second did he consider letting go of her hand. They had been through a bit too much for that. Besides, weren’t Lucas and Hanson already suspecting? There wasn’t much use in denying it any longer. Something was there. He just couldn’t be sure of what.

“Jo!” said Hanson cheerily. She gave the two men a weary smile as they entered. Henry could tell her energy was running out, and he couldn’t blame her. The day had been exhausting even before any of this had happened. Lucas stood just within the doorway, looking as if any second he might scurry away. He gave a curt nod and greeted her as well. A moment of silence ensued “I’m sorry,” said Hanson finally. “I tried to follow the son of a bitch but he got away...” The man looked less like a seasoned New York cop and more like a guilty child on the schoolgrounds.

“You did your best,” she replied wearily but with an attempt at consolation. The nurse reentered the room and ushered the two men out, who mumbled goodbyes to her. With a huge sigh, Jo collapsed into her pillows. “I’m sorry I’m such poor company on your birthday,” she said sincerely. Henry reached a hand to her forehead to brush back a strand of hair that had fallen foreward.

In a quiet voice, he said, “This is the best company I’ve had in a long time for a birthday, I assure you. There’s nowhere I’d rather be, detective.” With a nod, she visibly relaxed and closed her eyes, sleep overpowering her desire to stay awake.

“I promise you,” he murmured to hersoftly snoring form, “that I will remember this birthday forever. And forever is quite some time for me.” He fell asleep sitting next to her in the chair, still holding her hand.

**Author's Note:**

> So I hope this wasn't too cringy. I wrote this a while back and am challenging myself to post all of these bits of story ideas and drabbles that have only lived in my notes until now. I figure they'll never see the light of day if I don't.


End file.
